Amalia
The clatter of Auni's hooves wakes Amalia from her slumber, the wounded leopard rumbling low from somewhere in the upstairs of the shop. She does not want to venture out of bed if she can help it, content to nurse her injured leg from her place beneath the blankets. Dark eyes close below heavy lashes; the feline is about to drift off again when the sound of a door closing jolts her upright.
For a moment all she knows is fear, clenching terror in her breast. They've come for me. I'm under arrest. I'm going to be dragged out into the night. Her breathing grows rapid, panicked, fast; unthinking she shifts to avian form, prepared to fly out of the window, escape into the night. It isn't what she planned, far from her methodically laid out intentions of allowing her capture, surrendering with ease. But now that she's faced with it, now that it's real, Amalia knows that-
It's Kiada!
Jyoti's mental trill is more thoughts and colors and feeling than words, but she communicates clearly nonetheless. A harpy's feather, a moonless night, a warm protective fire and the smell of wood smoke. These are the things the starwhale feels as she sings a soft song to the girl on the floor, drifting along on unseen currents to land upon Auni's back. Cooing curiously, the celestial cetacean exhales a plume of stardust into the bakery, hoping to ease whatever worry Kiada currently feels.
From the back of the shop a small figure swoops in, the owl landing awkwardly upon the wooden ground, clearly favoring her right leg as she shifts back to human form. "Kiada? It's late." There is no blame in her tone, simply caring curiosity, an eagerness to ensure she is okay. Sitting up beside the Harpy, Amalia leans gently against her shoulder as Jyoti swims across to her lap.
For a moment all she knows is fear, clenching terror in her breast. They've come for me. I'm under arrest. I'm going to be dragged out into the night. Her breathing grows rapid, panicked, fast; unthinking she shifts to avian form, prepared to fly out of the window, escape into the night. It isn't what she planned, far from her methodically laid out intentions of allowing her capture, surrendering with ease. But now that she's faced with it, now that it's real, Amalia knows that-
It's Kiada!
Jyoti's mental trill is more thoughts and colors and feeling than words, but she communicates clearly nonetheless. A harpy's feather, a moonless night, a warm protective fire and the smell of wood smoke. These are the things the starwhale feels as she sings a soft song to the girl on the floor, drifting along on unseen currents to land upon Auni's back. Cooing curiously, the celestial cetacean exhales a plume of stardust into the bakery, hoping to ease whatever worry Kiada currently feels.
From the back of the shop a small figure swoops in, the owl landing awkwardly upon the wooden ground, clearly favoring her right leg as she shifts back to human form. "Kiada? It's late." There is no blame in her tone, simply caring curiosity, an eagerness to ensure she is okay. Sitting up beside the Harpy, Amalia leans gently against her shoulder as Jyoti swims across to her lap.
